CIS 512 WK 3 Assignment 1 – Numerical Precision
The storage and representation of numbers in a computer can lead to costly mistakes because of precision errors. When using floating point numbers, one must make sure that the correct number of digits is used in a calculation because rounding errors can produce values that lead to errors. Consider the floating point format, exponential format, and binary coded decimal (BCD).
Write a four to five (4-5) page paper in which you:
Analyze the floating point format in order to:
Determine how floating point numbers are stored in memory.
Discuss the ease or difficulty of manipulating and using floating point numbers in arithmetic calculations.
Determine whether or not you believe that the floating point format is memory efficient. Provide a rationale to support your answer.
Analyze the format used to store numbers using the binary coded decimal format. Determine whether the BCD format is more or less memory efficient than the floating point format.
Compare and contrast the BCD format to the floating point format in terms of:
precision
performance in calculations
memory usage